1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a three dimensional object which method enables a three-dimensional object of a desired shape to be easily created, a three-dimensional object manufactured by the manufacturing method, and a print medium used in the method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, ink jet printers have made noticeable progress. In particular, home use printers are now able to output high quality images that favorably compare with silver photographs. With prevailing digital cameras and personal computers, ink jet printers are spreading rapidly among families. This means that the market accepts the value of the ink jet printer, which enables users to easily create original images by themselves.
On the other hand, improved displays and image processing apparatuses have enabled users to enjoy viewing two-dimensional images including photographs on the screen without the need to output them to print media such as paper. This trend is expected to continue in the future. In that case, two-dimensional images such as print matter may lose their current significant values.
One of the values demanded by the market in the future is a three-dimensional appearance. Three-dimensional images or objects can express three-dimensional appearances. Much attention is now being paid to small three-dimensional objects such as small dolls called figures and mascots attached to cellular phones. The market further strongly demands original three-dimensional objects as is the case with two-dimensional images. Thus, there has been a strong desire to meet these requirements.
The most common method for creating such a three-dimensional object as described above involves the steps of pouring resin into a mold to form a three-dimensional object and coloring the object. However, the mold is expensive and the molding of resin requires large-scale facilities. The coloring requires a long time and appropriate skills. Thus, this method does not worth the cost unless three-dimensional objects are mass-produced. Therefore, this method is unsuitable for small-lot production.
A typical method for creating a three-dimensional object without any mold is an optical shaping system. This system can create a three-dimensional object by irradiating a liquid photo hardening resin with laser light. However, an apparatus for implementing this method is very expensive. Further, this method needs to carry out coloring in a separate process.
An inexpensive proposed system for creating an original three-dimensional object uses ink jet method. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-198746 (1994) proposes means for ejecting a photo hardening resin or hot melt ink from an ink jet head so as to stack it. However, this system is limited in that it is unable to create an overhung shape having no underlying support. This system further requires a separate coloring process.
To solve the problem described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-198746 (1994), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-264221 discloses a method for forming a three-dimensional object using an ink jet method. This method uses an ink jet printing apparatus to repeat an operation of ejecting ink into resin powder to stack ink. The ink applied and stacked portion is then irradiated with an electromagnetic wave and thus hardened. Unwanted resin powder is then removed from the image formed, to form a three-dimensional object. This method can reproduce an overhung shape and can achieve coloring simultaneously with the reproduction by mixing coloring agent into the ink.
However, the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-264221 requires a height limiting mechanism as well as handling of the material (powder). Therefore, this method requires a complicated manufacturing process and high apparatus costs.